The Pelicans' situation has been unstable ever since the franchise relocated from Charlotte in 2002, and especially since Katrina. This excruciating state of limbo unfortunately defines the Pelicans. It's difficult to say where they belong.

You get the sense Ralph Sampson, if he had been designed by NASA engineers rather than a cruel god, still would have ended up as one of the great Yeah, But guys of his generation: an immensely gifted, lightly snakebitten antecedent to Vince Carter and Chris Webber.

ChipButty wrote:Dubs had some bad luck with injuries, but happy to see the Raptors win the championship. Zero lottery picks on the entire Raptors roster. Wow. Great team win. Let the offseason begin.

With KD and Clay GSW would've win easily, but that show that a good team will always be a injury or 2 away from a championship, so it's worth keep trying.

Sucks for GS, but it's part of the game and happens to numerous playoff hopefuls and championship contenders every year. No world exists where the eventual champion had to play their top competitors at full strength. And the top teams, like GS, play more games. It takes a toll.

Toronto was the better team in that series, and frankly it wasn't even that close. They went on the road and beat the W's in their own house multiple times.

From a garbage fire of a team after Billy King's catastrophe, to overhauling the entire FO and ownership group, rebuilding through taking on contracts and assets here and there. To now getting both KD and Kyrie. The Nets are a dream scenario for majority of the teams out there.

Granted they're still in NY, which is a huge draw, since it's America's city. But still, it's commendable what they've done.

DBC10 wrote:From a garbage fire of a team after Billy King's catastrophe, to overhauling the entire FO and ownership group, rebuilding through taking on contracts and assets here and there. To now getting both KD and Kyrie. The Nets are a dream scenario for majority of the teams out there.

Granted they're still in NY, which is a huge draw, since it's America's city. But still, it's commendable what they've done.

Sean Marks has done a masterful job there. He inherited a geriatric roster in cap hell, that was also didn't own multiple future FRP's.

Cases like this should encourage more new blood hires, instead of the super uninspiring tired retreads we see all too often.

None of those guys are going to help them take the next step, and there is high potential all of those eventually look like awful contracts.

Then they lose Cauley-Stein for nothing.

It's a cap disaster what they've done. Why would they need Trevor for that much anyways? They could've just rehashed Garrett Temple again, granted he probably didn't want to go there. Or maybe Bullock, since it's a wash defensively comparing both of them at this point in Ariza's career.

None of those guys are going to help them take the next step, and there is high potential all of those eventually look like awful contracts.

Then they lose Cauley-Stein for nothing.

It's a cap disaster what they've done. Why would they need Trevor for that much anyways? They could've just rehashed Garrett Temple again, granted he probably didn't want to go there. Or maybe Bullock, since it's a wash defensively comparing both of them at this point in Ariza's career.

Cory Joseph got PAID too.

Just when you think the Kings might be starting to turn the corner and graduate from being one of the worst run franchises in the league...

None of those guys are going to help them take the next step, and there is high potential all of those eventually look like awful contracts.

Then they lose Cauley-Stein for nothing.

My general belief is that 2 year deals aren't crippling for a franchise. At worst Ariza and Joseph will likely be tradeable even if they don't fit. Playoff teams are often looking for players like that near the deadline.

The Dedmon contract is a head scratcher though, and the Barnes deal is just flat out awful.

None of those guys are going to help them take the next step, and there is high potential all of those eventually look like awful contracts.

Then they lose Cauley-Stein for nothing.

My general belief is that 2 year deals aren't crippling for a franchise. At worst Ariza and Joseph will likely be tradeable even if they don't fit. Playoff teams are often looking for players like that near the deadline.

The Dedmon contract is a head scratcher though, and the Barnes deal is just flat out awful.

None of those guys are going to help them take the next step, and there is high potential all of those eventually look like awful contracts.

Then they lose Cauley-Stein for nothing.

My general belief is that 2 year deals aren't crippling for a franchise. At worst Ariza and Joseph will likely be tradeable even if they don't fit. Playoff teams are often looking for players like that near the deadline.

The Dedmon contract is a head scratcher though, and the Barnes deal is just flat out awful.

Joseph is a 3 year contract.

Oooh, yeah, not sure how I misread that.

I thought it was 2/27. So yeah, I think the Ariza contract is fine. The rest...yeah. Joe D isn't exactly helping Vlade make better decisions is he?

Snakebites wrote:My general belief is that 2 year deals aren't crippling for a franchise. At worst Ariza and Joseph will likely be tradeable even if they don't fit. Playoff teams are often looking for players like that near the deadline.

The Dedmon contract is a head scratcher though, and the Barnes deal is just flat out awful.

Joseph is a 3 year contract.

Oooh, yeah, not sure how I misread that.

I thought it was 2/27. So yeah, I think the Ariza contract is fine. The rest...yeah. Joe D isn't exactly helping Vlade make better decisions is he?

At least the Knicks are signing (almost) everyone to 2 year deals.

Dumars was brought in just 9 days before the start of free agency, so who knows how much input he actually had. But yeah, it definitely doesn't reflect glowingly on ole Joe D.

DBC10 wrote:From a garbage fire of a team after Billy King's catastrophe, to overhauling the entire FO and ownership group, rebuilding through taking on contracts and assets here and there. To now getting both KD and Kyrie. The Nets are a dream scenario for majority of the teams out there.

Granted they're still in NY, which is a huge draw, since it's America's city. But still, it's commendable what they've done.

It really wasn’t long ago that I said “hey, at least we’re not the Nets”.

There’s still totally a chance it blows up in their faces. Those aren’t the safest signings and I have doubts that Durant/Kyrie/DAJ is a championship core.